The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: Thunder Nelson Does the Impossumble

Name: The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: Thunder Nelson Does the Impossumble
Brand: Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand
SKU: 9781523532971
Price: 19.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Kate Messner and Martha Brockenbrough

0.0 (0 reviews)

Brief Description

Meet the kids in Mrs. Z's wacky and wonderful third grade class! When Mrs. Z's class is looking for an animal to "adopt," Thunder Nelson knows just the critter—the baby possum she just saved. But Thunder isn't ready for what happens when a wild animal goes... Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$19⁹⁹

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: Thunder Nelson Does the Impossumble

$19⁹⁹

AUTHOR SIGNING 20 Oct 2026

Vanya Insull (aka VJ Cooks) visits Book Hero

We were lucky to have a visit from popular foodie, home cook and baker Vanya...

FICTION 20 Oct 2026

Is the newest Jack Reacher one of the best?

Our favourite crime solving, bad guy beating nomad is back and Lizzy and Edd were...

AUTHOR SIGNING 20 Oct 2026

Heartstopper's Alice Oseman visits Book Hero

We were so excited to have Alice come to visit Hero HQ, as huge fans...

FICTION 19 Oct 2026

Shirl and Lizzy Review The Starving Bride

Catherine Chidgey does it again with another incredible novel that will have people talking for...

FICTION 19 Oct 2026

New Releases to add to your TBR this week (19th October)

One of my favourite sci-fi authors has a new book that I cannot wait to...

Meet the kids in Mrs. Z's wacky and wonderful third grade class! When Mrs. Z's class is looking for an animal to "adopt" Thunder Nelson knows just the critter-the baby possum she just saved. But Thunder isn't ready for what happens when a wild animal goes to school!

Description

Meet the kids in Mrs. Z's wacky and wonderful third grade class! When Mrs. Z's class is looking for an animal to "adopt," Thunder Nelson knows just the critter—the baby possum she just saved. But Thunder isn't ready for what happens when a wild animal goes to school!

Mrs. Z's class is voting on a small class mascot, since big animals tend to get all the attention. But Thunder hates voting—it's like sports but less fun. Everyone is nominating tardigrades, while Thunder is hoping for something fuzzy, like a hamster.

Then she finds an abandoned baby possum and has a brilliant idea. She'll bring the possum to school and convince the class it should be their mascot! How could they resist picking a real, live animal? But when Thunder's plan goes off the rails, the possum—and the class—may end up in danger if Thunder can't find a way to fix her mistakes.

Both sweetly poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, with black-and-white illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor artist Kat Fajardo, Thunder's story invites readers into Mrs. Z's class where friendship and fun rule the school.

Perfect for!
• My Weirdtastic School fans
• Reluctant readers
• Classroom read-alouds
• Andrew Clements fans
• Animal lovers!
• Anyone who's had to fix a mistake

Read them all! The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class have plenty of stories to share!

Emma McKenna, Full Out (#1)

Rohan Murthy Has a Plan (#2)

Poppy Song Bakes a Way (#3)

The Legend of Memo Castillo (#4)

Wyatt Hill Brings a Lizard to School (#5)

Ayana Ndoum Takes the Stage (#6)

Olive Little Gets Crafty (#7)

Synclaire Fields Knows the Score (#8)

Theo Chang is Not a Cat (#9) - available for preorder now!

Thunder Nelson Does the Impossumble (#10) - available for preorder now!

Sebastian Metzger Solves a Sticky Situation (#11) - available for preorder now!

Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat (#12) - available for preorder now!

The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class is an innovative series where every book is written by a different all-star author and features a different kid in the same third-grade class. They can be read in any order!

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781523532971

Publisher: Workman Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 November 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: Workman Publishing

Illustration: B&W illustrations

Contributors:

Illustrated by Kat Fajardo

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 12.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 144g

Pages: 128

Collections

Children's Books Children's Fiction Children's Picture Books Children’s, Teenage and Educational Kate Messner Martha Brockenbrough

About the Author

Martha Brockenbrough is the author of more than twenty books for young readers, including YA fiction and nonfiction, picture books, a middle grade mystery, and a chapter book series. A faculty member at Vermont College of Fine Arts, she's also the founder of National Grammar Day (every March 4), and she's written game questions for Cranium and Trivial Pursuit. Her YA novel The Game of Love and Death won a Pacific Northwest Bookseller Association Award and a Washington State Book Award, and was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. She lives in Seattle with her family. She invites you to visit her online at nothingtonovel.com.Kat Fajardo (they/she) received a Pura Belpre Honor for Illustration for their first graphic novel, Miss Quinces (published in Spanish as Srta. Quinces). Born and raised in New York City, Kat now lives in Austin, Texas, with their pups, Mac and Roni. They invite you to visit them at katfajardo.com.

Also by Kate Messner

View all

Fergus and Zeke and the Great Farm Field Trip

Will the two classroom mice make it back to the bus on time, or will they be stuck on the farm forever? A funny adventure tailor-made for farm-loving kids. Fergus and Zeke and the Great Farm Field Trip follows Fergus and Zeke, who adore being the class pets in Miss Maxwell’s class and always endeavour to participate in whatever the...

By Kate Messner

Hardback

$28⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
Fergus and Zeke for President

Can classroom mice Fergus and Zeke work together to finish their project on American presidents—even when Zeke gets bossy? It’s Presidents’ Day, and all the students in Miss Maxwell’s classroom are choosing their special projects. Classroom pets Fergus and Zeke want to participate, too! Zeke appoints himself president of their cage. But the power goes a bit to his head,...

By Kate Messner

Hardback

$28⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics

History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about history's pandemics, from the Black Death to COVID-19. Perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. During the Black Death in the 14th century, plague doctors wore creepy beaked masks filled with herbs. RIGHT? WRONG! Those masks were from a plague outbreak centuries later—and...

By Falynn Koch and Kate Messner

Paperback

$37⁰⁰

Available
Ships in 2-3 weeks
History Smashers: Salem Witch Trials

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about the Salem Witch Trials in the hit History Smashers nonfiction series. Perfect for fans of the I Survived books and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. In 1692, a few paranoid Puritans accused their neighbours of being witches, sending the town flying off the (broomstick) handle. Before it was all over, dozens of women...

By Falynn Koch and Kate Messner

Paperback

$37⁰⁰

Available
Ships in 2-3 weeks
Chirp

[A] deftly layered mystery about family, friendship, and the struggle to speak up. - Laurie Halse Anderson, bestselling author of Speak and Shout From acclaimed author Kate Messner comes the powerful story of a young girl with the courage to make her voice heard, set against the backdrop of a summertime mystery. When Mia moves to Vermont the summer after...

By Kate Messner

Paperback

$39⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
Once Upon a Book

Once upon a time, there was a girl. She went to a place alive with colours, where even the morning dew was warm. Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favourite book. So when it flaps its pages and invites her in, she is swept away to a world of wonder and adventure, riding camels in...

By Grace Lin and Kate Messner

Hardback

$34⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
Emma McKenna, Full Out (The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class #1)

Ready? Okay! Meet The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class, an innovative new chapter-book series where every book will focus on a different kid in the same third-grade class, each created by a different acclaimed children's writer. In this first book from New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner, cheerleader Emma McKenna is thrilled for her first day at a new...

By Kate Messner

Paperback

$31⁰⁰

Available
Ships in 2-3 weeks
How to Save an Owl

From the bestselling author of the Ranger in Time series, Kate Messner, comes a chapter book series about a family dedicated to rescuing animals. Siblings Ivy and Ezra couldn't be more different, but they have one thing in common: a love of animals. Their family volunteers for the local wildlife hospital as "critter couriers", helping transport injured and orphaned animals...

By Kate Messner

Paperback

$36⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
The Scariest Kitten in the World

WARNING! This is a VERY scary story. It is the most spine-chilling story anyone has ever read. It takes place in a horrifying haunted house (okay, not that terrifying) . . . with a creepy creature (well, maybe not that creepy) . . . and its frightening friends (but are they that frightening?). Seriously. Kids are going to be scared...

By Kate Messner

Board book

$19⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
How to Save an Otter

From the bestselling author of the Ranger in Time series, Kate Messner, comes an adventurous new chapter book series about a family dedicated to rescuing animals. Ivy and Ezra are "critter couriers" whose family volunteers to transport injured and orphaned animals to their local wildlife hospital. When they discover a baby river otter with a hurt leg, Ivy worries about...

By Kate Messner

Paperback

$36⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 2-3 weeks
Camp Monster

New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner invites you to Camp Monster in this fun-filled young middle-grade graphic novel series, perfect for fans of InvestiGators. Tasha's family has run Camp Yeti for generations, but these days there just aren't enough Yetis to fill the bunks. This summer, they are rebranding as Camp Monster—a super fun summer camp experience for all...

By Kate Messner

Hardback

$29⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
Axolotl-Ella

Cinderella has never been so adorable—or amphibious!—as in this fractured fairytale picture book by New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner, with art by award-winning illustrator Lian Cho. Axolotl-Ella is a quick and clever salamander with a daring, deliciously ambitious dream. All she needs to do to make her dream a reality is to meet the Prince at the King's...

By Kate Messner and Lian Cho

Hardback

$36⁰⁰

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Children's Books

View all

New Release

Fight or Flight: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (21)

When the going gets tough, what’s a wimpy kid to do? In Fight or Flight, Greg Heffley faces his biggest challenge yet as he becomes a target for the school bully. Luckily for Greg, his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, takes karate, so at least Greg’s got someone in his corner. But an unexpected twist makes Greg realize he’s facing an uphill...

By Jeff Kinney

Paperback

$16⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$21⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

Gruffalo Granny

The brand new Gruffalo picture book from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The Gruffalo said to his daughter one day, "Your Gruffalo Granny is coming to stay." Return to the deep dark wood with the first new Gruffalo story in over 20 years, and meet Gruffalo Granny as she visits the Gruffalo family. This fresh and exciting new Gruffalo adventure...

By Julia Donaldson

Hardback

$24⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$30⁰⁰~~

(2)

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

The Sixth Faction

Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives. She has a plan: she's going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind. But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changes—her world, her...

By Veronica Roth

Paperback

$29⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$34⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

Detective Beans Colouring Club

Help Detective Beans solve the case of the missing colours! Join the Colouring Club now! Join the Detective Beans Colouring Club! Inside you'll find 40 removable colouring pages featuring scenes from all over Cat Town. Filled with all the characters you know and love from the Detective Beans graphic novels like Biscuits, Beans' mum, Mr Brickle, Bear, Detective Baby Bird...

By Li Chen

Paperback

$17⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$21⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

Wahine

From a majestic mermaid to a clay woman, the creator of glaciers to the mother of gardening, discover powerful wahine and how their stories shaped the world around us. Wahine introduces readers to twelve purakau of brave, bold, and inspiring women of Aotearoa. A beautifully illustrated collection that will delight the whole whanau, from award-winning illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White....

By Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Hardback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

Lottie Brooks’s Twelve Disasters of Christmas

From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! But this time... it's not about Lottie! From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! And it's CHRISTMAS! In The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks we spent the holiday season with...

By Katie Kirby

Paperback

$17⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$21⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships today
On Sale
21% off
New Release

Matihe! Achoo!

What happens when a grumpy tupua has to sneeze? Matihe! Achoo! is a bilingual story about the tupua Mataoho and his connection to the volcanoes of Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. It comes with an action song to engage young readers! He pūrākau e pā ana ki a Mataoho me ngā puia o Takamaki Makaurau. He tupua pukukino a Mataoho e noho...

By Qiane Matata-Sipu

Paperback

$15⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$21⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships today
The Sweet As Looky Book

Can you find all the chocolate fish? Is it possible for kiwi to fly? Can you spot the difference? See Aotearoa New Zealand through the eyes of award-winning artist Donovan Bixley in The Sweet As Looky Book. Use your finest skills to seek out pirates in the Bay of Islands and birds in Rakiura Stewart Island. Get in a car...

By Donovan Bixley

Hardback

$22⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

Backorder
Ships Unknown - Contact Us
New Release

Pocket Observology

Pocket Observology is a practical field guide designed for those who love to explore and understand the natural world around them. Slip this guide out of your pocket to identify, measure, compare, or find clues to the things you encounter every day in nature. This pocket guide is a useful tool and a fun reminder of how to engage with...

By Giselle Clarkson

Paperback

$23⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

The Day of the Dinosaur Disaster

Angry anacondas, blizzarding blobs, carnivorous cactuses ... what kind of twisted curse will Glam-Evil think up this time?!Only it's not just Glam-Evil's curse the gang needs to worry about; they've got a few other problems, too. Swooping Pteranodons, a hungry T-Rex, a missing mother, and ... is that ... an ASTEROID?!Join MILES AND JONES as they face their biggest challenge...

By Sam Smith

Paperback

$14⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$14⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
On Sale
15% off
New Release

The Neverfear

A world of richly-imagined wonder Cressida Cowell It’s the Midsummer Feast on the Islet of Glimt and on this magical moonlit evening, the word on everyone’s lips is bandits. Reports of masked men burning villages are spreading throughout the Archipelago, but worse is still to come: Christopher and Anya are ambushed and one of the people they love most is...

By Katherine Rundell

Paperback

$17⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$22⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

Mari the Unwonderful Witch

A charming, cosy and thought-provoking tale about a wonderfully unconventional little witch, by bestselling author of BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki. Perfect for fans of WICKED, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, and THE HATMAKERS series by Tamzin Merchant - and anyone who likes an enchanting adventure with just a hint of mischief. Mari the Unwonderful Witch introduces us to Mari, an eleven-year-old witch who...

By Asako Yuzuki

Paperback

$19⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$24⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.